


Not Mine

by Capucine



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of rape/noncon, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Fuck Or Die, Fucked Up, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Past Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-05-22 19:05:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6091012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capucine/pseuds/Capucine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damian and Tim are forced into a horrific situation--and this is the immediate aftermath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tim is sixteen and Damian is twelve in this one. Still, could be triggering.

It was like electricity was running under his skin, burning and shocking. Damian's hands couldn't stop shaking, as he tucked them into his armpits to try and calm himself.

He did what he had to.

Tim would be dead if he hadn't.

He scowled to himself, knowing he could never call Tim 'Drake' again. Knowing the weird knot in his chest wouldn't allow it, the way he felt like he'd sliced open his sternum to expose vulnerable organs.

It wasn't something he wanted to do again.

And he wouldn't have to, most likely.

Bonding was not exactly a monthly ritual.

\--

Dick was filled with chaotic, turbulent emotions.

He wanted to scream at Damian.

He wanted to hold him, because god, he was a child.

He wanted to demand of Tim what the hell he was thinking.

He wanted to soothe his pain, get him to not feel so broken.

Because Tim was there, on the white hospital bed in the batcave’s medical area, and curled onto his side. His sobbing had subsided a bit ago, and now he was just shaking, casted arm pulled tight to his chest but not quite touching the white bandages around his neck as he stared blankly at the wall.

His leg was also liberally bandaged, his concussion being watched, treated, but Dick had a feeling that the emotional and psychological damage was far higher.

The smell of him was different—not just fear and trauma, like Dick had scented coming off of Tim a few times in his life. No, now his scent spoke of something else.

_Claimed._

Dick moved closer to Tim, and he could see the way Tim flinched, surely inhaling his Alpha scent more consciously than before, and so he did his best to be nonthreatening, sinking down onto his knees to come close to the bed. “Hey, it’s just me, Tim. I wouldn’t hurt you.”

Tim’s voice came out a weak rasp, and this tugged at something angry and hurt in Dick’s chest, but he held it down as he gently laid a hand against the side of Tim’s face—the unbruised side.

Tim managed, “I said no.”

And that hurt too, but Dick kept his eyes soft, trying to send out waves of calming pheromones. “I know you did, Baby Bird. I know.”

Ages ago, Tim would relax very quickly in Dick’s presence, would release tension from his muscles and get that small half-smile on his face. Now, he seemed to almost be fighting it. Dick could feel his trembling cheek under his thumb, the way the skin was too warm and yet Tim’s teeth seemed to almost chatter.

And he really was having a hard time knowing who to be angry at. It was a fucked up situation at best.

He was taking it better than Jason, though.

\--

Jason felt that Damian was lucky he hadn’t taken his fucking head off.

As a Beta, he was excluded in the general sense from general Alpha and Omega politics, the insistence that he simply couldn’t understand enough for most people to demand he shut up—but like fuck he was going to shut up.

He’d been street-level for years, seen all the shit Omegas could be put through—and like fuck he was going to see Tim put through it.

He slammed his fist into the punching bag again, ignoring the way his hand throbbed and stung.

Nothing compared to Tim.

He could still hear the boy’s half-delirious pleas, his feeble struggles, could remember the way his voice cracked, broke, when he realized he could do nothing to stop it.

Jason let out a snarl as he slammed his fist into the bag again. Goddamnit, he’d had enough of assholes who thought someone else being in heat was a free license to do whatever the fuck they wanted to them.

He knew Dick had felt similarly, able to smell Tim’s fear—and heat—far more than Jason was able to.

Goddamnit. _Goddamnit._

\--

Cass was concerned with Damian. She knew enough to know Tim would be the one the others focused on, since he was the most hurt—and the Omega.

She wanted to comfort him, she was close to Tim, but Dick had it covered, and no one had Damian. He should be calmed and talked to before Bruce got back. He shouldn’t have to face it alone. So, she found him, where he was hiding out.

She could smell that he was bonded, a smell that should not be on a twelve-year-old, Alpha or not.

He looked up at her, saying, in a greeting that was clearly meant to be sharper, “Cain.”

“Damian,” she responded, sitting down a foot or so away from him. He had chosen the roof to get away, not unlike she’d heard from the others that Jason and Dick used to. Tim tended towards underground hiding places, and Steph towards anywhere-but-here.

She could see the hurt in his posture, the way he was willing himself not to cry. 

“I had to. Don’t they see that?” he complained without preamble.

Cass wasn’t here to take sides. Instead, she sighed. “You tried to protect him. I know.”

“And I did! I was the only one who could—did they want him raped to death? That’s what would have happened, they shouldn’t _hate_ me…” His voice trailed off, the heat of it trapped in his mouth. He bit his lip hard, arms wrapped tight across his torso.

“You don’t know that would have happened,” Cass replied, though she still felt sympathy for Damian. She wanted to reach out and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I do, actually. That’s the de facto policy—they wouldn’t have let you see it, Cain. It’s a general torture technique—they could ignore his heat if they wished to, but they didn’t—they wouldn’t have. It’s Grandfather’s method of inspiring terror in captive groups like that,” Damian spat. His fists clenched in his pants. He was wearing a set of sweats—black, but Cass suspected they only matched because it was mainly what Damian had.

And that fit. Cass sighed. “He wasn’t carrying any pills for it?”

“No, that—that—he didn’t bother, not anywhere but his belt, perhaps, but they took our belts.” Damian looked away, face in a sharp frown. “It was the only way to stop his heat. Besides almost killing him.”

A heat would shut down in the face of severe bodily trauma. Or starvation or so on. And Tim had been injured, but not nearly enough. He’d been beaten, but would have made it through just fine.

Another method—claiming. Bonding. The hormones that rushed through would shut it down.

And that was the method Damian had taken. Cass had seen the bitemark on Tim’s neck—had helped to clean it, wash the potential infection from it as Tim had tried to turn away, hide it. As if hiding it made it not real.

Her heart gave a weird, painful twang, and she swallowed. She didn’t know how aware the other two were of Damian’s information. She knew everyone was angry and hurting.

She carefully pulled Damian into a hug, and he seemed to resist a little at first, but then he buried his face in her chest. “I’m not sorry,” came his small voice.

She kept a loose grip on him. “I know,” she sighed, “I know.”

\--

Tim couldn’t imagine being in a worse nightmare. Literally force-bonded to his twelve year old adoptive brother. His whole body was throbbing and cold. He wanted to curl up and die.

He could still remember Dick and Jason shouting from their holding cell at them, at Damian, telling him to stop, they’d fix it, _you’re hurting him_ \--

And the process itself was like having everything that protected him, that made Tim himself, stripped away until there was only a soft, pathetic, crying core left.

And he hated it. And it made him fearful, watching the door, sense of smell sharper than ever.

He wanted to go back, to make it have never happened.

He wasn’t even due for his heat for another month.

It wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t fair, he kept repeating, as if anything had ever been fair, as he hid beneath white sheets and ran his thumb over the scratchy edge of his cast.

\--

Ra’s had very much killed two birds with one stone.

He would get an heir from Timothy Drake _and_ Damian, he had Tim inextricably bound to his family, and Damian may even turn away from superheroing after something like this.

He was pleased, to say the least.

The Detective would figure out his aims, maybe already had, but it was too late anyhow.

He’d gotten what he wanted. Eventually, the two would come to live with it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Further aftermath of the forced bond--and complications.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Focused mostly on Tim, but Damian gets more in the next chapter!

Tim’s first encounter with Damian hadn’t gone so well after the forced bonding. 

Dick was shocked to see the positively frightening look that came over Tim’s face, and it was only his quick thinking that stopped Tim from attempting to stab Damian with the serving fork. It was an almost feral snarl, a ‘you won’t hurt me again’ that seemed to override everything Tim knew.

“You get the fuck away from me!” Tim shouted, as Dick kept a hold of his wrists, keeping him back.

Damian’s eyes seemed to spark, and things went worse, because whether he intended to or not, Damian was letting off pheromones that demanded submission. More than mere calm, it was a ‘stop right now, I am your Alpha.’

Tim screamed at him, inarticulate and furious, and Dick really wished he didn’t have to hold him back because that meant there was no one holding Jason back.

Jason had caught on very fast to what Damian was doing, and was at him like a bullet. “Hey! You fucking stop that, or I’ll tear your goddamn—“

Damian had already drawn a knife, glaring at Jason like he was going to tear his throat out. “Do not lay a finger on me, Todd!”

Dick knew Damian well enough to see the uncertainty, an almost fear in his eyes. And thank god it was a standoff at the moment, because at least Jason and Damian weren’t killing each other—yet. “Jason, stop—Damian, I need you to control your pheromones—“

“Get the fuck out!” Tim was shouting, and thank god he was on crutches, because otherwise he would probably easily break the hold. And try to fight Damian, which would end badly no matter who ‘won.’

“I can’t help it!” Damian snapped back shrilly, “You wouldn’t be able to either!”

Jason practically snarled, “Bullshit! Control your goddamn stink or I’ll control it for you!”

Dick had never bonded with someone. It was a pretty big deal. Extremely difficult to break, if possible. Some cases, it wasn’t, it being a fickle thing. 

And Damian was a kid. A kid with issues controlling just his temper, let alone something he shouldn’t have had to deal with for years. 

Tim was a kid too, though, and he could feel his younger brother shaking with rage in his arms. The smell of fear was heavily apparent as well. _Especially_ since Damian had started with his own pheromones.

“Please, calm down,” Dick said, and his scent would really only affect Tim and Damian, but that was still something, so he released a calming scent. 

Damian seemed to lose some tension, but Tim wasn’t having it.

Crutches or no, he slammed his good heel into Dick’s kneecap, and drove one of his elbows into his ribs, breaking free and starting to run. Closest he could do on crutches, anyway.

Dick wheezed, staggering, unable to respond for a moment.

Damian started after Tim, though whether because he was mad he hurt Dick or the mating bond made him want to soothe him, Dick didn’t know.

Either way, Jason blocked his path with a snarl. “Haven’t you fucking done enough?”

And Damian’s face was anguished fury, as Tim disappeared to god knew what hiding spot. “I did more than I should have had to! I hope you die again, Todd!” And he practically flew from the room, opposite of the direction Tim had taken.

Dick managed to catch Jason’s shoulder before he took off after Damian.

“What? You heard what that little fuck said!” Jason snarled at him.

“Please, this isn’t helping Tim,” Dick pleaded with him.

“Oh? Are you doing any better? No? Didn’t fucking think so!” And Jason wrenched his shoulder free, and stormed towards the exit to the balcony. And outside. He would probably roam the grounds, thank god, as he sometimes did. No crossing paths with Damian.

Dick buried his face in his hands. How exactly was he supposed to handle this? He couldn’t send either of them away; both were children, for one thing, but Damian needed to be here, had few other places he would be safe and cared for, especially after this, and Tim…he couldn’t do that to Tim. Tim needed to be with him. Needed help working through this and definitely didn’t want his friends or anyone to know.

As he expressed, and by the obvious shame that he seemed to exude.

And Jason refused to leave. That hothead was certain he had to protect Tim, had to be here to make sure Damian didn’t do anything else.

As if Damian wanted to.

He and Dick had gotten a chance to talk, and Dick could see that this was hurting Damian too. That he’d seen no other option at the time.

Which, god, he was twelve, it felt like it shouldn’t have even been an obvious solution to him.

It was like being between a rock and a hard place, those slowly pushing together until there was no space and he would be crushed. All of it would be lost. 

He had to figure this out. Had to save everyone. Bruce would want him to, if he was here and not offworld.

\--

Jason had managed to get Tim to let him be around him. It took some time, as Tim tended towards vehemently rejecting almost anyone, especially Alphas, but he got it. He did it.

He just sat with him in his room or elsewhere, doing something like flipping a knife in his hand or some other small activity, while Tim did something else. Usually on his laptop or some shit, not looking up and the keys clacking away.

Jason was quite certain he hadn’t contacted any of his friends.

Many Omegas who were force bonded, or only raped (still a horrific deal, but with different consequences) did not feel safe to talk about it. Felt shame or that they had been used and were disgusting, or were worried about pregnancy, among other feelings. If everyone knew who the paternal parent was, they could not get out of legal shit.

Also, society wasn’t exactly fond of hateful, furious Omegas.

Fuck society.

Tim looked over at him suddenly, partially closing the laptop. “Jay?”

Jason turned his attention towards Tim slowly, not eagerly. He didn’t want to scare him. “Yeah? What’s up, Timbers?”

“You, uh…” Tim’s voice trailed off, looking down towards the top of his laptop. “You…know about drugs.”

“Yeah, of cour—Timbers, no, that’s a bad, bad idea,” Jason replied, catching on instantly. And it actually made an angry clench in his chest to know.

Tim was definitely talking about illicit drugs for breaking unwanted bonds. They were not safe in any sense, partially because what were the Omegas going to do, sue them? Make a complaint?

Tim glared at his laptop, unable to look directly at Jason. “No, it’s not.”

“Tim, those’ll fuck you up. It’s not worth it,” Jason said. There was little way of knowing which drugs would seriously fuck him up or even kill him. Even with the ‘best’, there were some seriously horrific side effects.

Cause the government refused to legalize such drugs, seeing as much of society saw them as horrifically against nature.

As if people couldn’t be force bonded, and it was only a natural response to love.

“I don’t care, it is worth it!” Tim snapped back, “I don’t care if it kills me, I can’t—I just can’t—“

He was going to start crying, Jason realized, the instant before the unwanted sob slipped from Tim’s mouth. He seemed almost furious that he was crying, hand held up to shield his face. It really did nothing to hide the fact he was crying.

And god, Jason wouldn’t do this for just anyone, but it was Tim, and he had been through so much right now, and had moved squarely into someone-I-need-to-protect territory. Plus, he was the only one who wasn’t an Alpha right now in the house, what with Alfred being gone (temporarily) and whatever friends or other bats not being there.

Just three Alphas, one Beta, and one traumatized Omega. It had to be doing fucking wonders for Tim, but they would never let him take him.

And Jason hugged him. Was extremely careful to approach slowly, safely, wait for clear consent. And Tim did consent, and buried his face in his chest, unable to stop, and unable to look him in the face or eyes.

Jason had done this before, after all, just not with Tim.

“I’m—I’m—I can’t—I have to—“ Tim was choking out, like he was desperate for Jason to understand but couldn’t even fathom the words that would get it across. Jason could feel the heat of his face through the t-shirt he was wearing.

“Hey, hey, you don’t have to get it all out, okay? Take as long as you need,” Jason murmured, furious with Damian and Dick and all the goddamn Alphas.

He didn’t care about Damian’s claims. He didn’t fucking believe it, and even if it was true, he’d still fight that goddamn kid for Tim. Someone should. Tim shouldn’t feel alone and scared.

Tim was breathing hard, crying still, trying hard to sort it out.

Jason was sure if he was one of the other two natures, he would be able to smell the fear and distress radiating off of Tim. He was kind of glad he couldn’t—well, that he wasn’t one of either.

Alpha assholes still believed the tired old goddamn myth that they just couldn’t control themselves around an Omega in heat, and that an Omega in heat was too ‘far gone’ to say no—even if they said no.

But a heat was not the same as in animals. It was a signal that the Omega was able to reproduce, not a compulsion—none of the pheromones could force anyone to do anything. It was more like a gentle suggestion, as Jason understood. As scientists who were pro-Omega and Beta rights explained time and again, especially lately.

And yes, a heat ‘unfulfilled’ was not pleasant for an Omega—but hardly an agony. Just unpleasant. Annoying. Barring very rare cases.

It did leave them somewhat more pliable, weak-limbed and shit, but not helpless. Just enough to distract and make it harder to get through the day, not unlike catching a mild flu. It was more of a bodily relaxation, they loosened up to make it easier on them should it be time to mate.

And fuck Alphas acting like they couldn’t help themselves, a knowing wink passed among them like in older days when driving drunk and hitting someone was an oops and not a crime.

Tim’s hand was fisted in his shirt, not unlike a small child seeking to keep the comforter with them. He still couldn’t look at him, though.

“Hey, Tim, I won’t let them do shit to you. We’re in this together, okay?” Jason said, committing far more to his brother than literally ever. But he had to; no one else would.

His sense of justice and the affection that had been slowly growing for Tim combined in a strong need to protect.

“I just—I want to get rid of it, I don’t want him to—to-- _own_ me, please—“

“He tries to pull legal bullshit, I’ll fucking kill him. Bullet in the head, problem’s gone, got me?” Jason was dead serious. Even if Damian’s story was true, pulling the legal shit was not something he _had_ to do.

A bonded Omega belonged to the Alpha they bonded to. Not in a slave sense, they were certainly seen as people—but legal guardianship. Who had the last say on anything. Medical care, kids, jobs, finances, all kinds of shit.

Most Alphas didn’t bother with that shit, to be honest—because hey, they were progressive and didn’t need to act like they owned them—even if technically they did. But there was always some motherfucker who pulled up the laws and used it.

He could feel Tim shaking in his arms. They didn’t say anything, Jason unwilling to encourage an illicit way of removing the bond and Tim obviously afraid to ask again for fear of losing the comfort.

Eventually, Tim actually drifted off. Thank god. Jason hadn’t been sure he’d slept at all.

His leg was going to fall asleep and do pins and needles like a motherfucker, but he’d stay still as long as possible.

Tim needed the sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda felt like I had to continue, what with the interest, and got inspired. 
> 
> And yes, Jason is extremely biased.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian and Cassandra get to talk, and Damian reveals some of his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disturbing stuff, including discussion of rape and murder. Cass's past is certainly disturbing, to say the least.
> 
> And science bullshit, of course, given the universe.

Damian had been surprisingly quiet, keeping to himself and slashing at dummies, topiaries, anything that wouldn’t bleed or fight back. 

Cass had been watching him. 

Dick seemed to have been cast off, or avoided, by Damian. He would not spend time with his favorite brother, and Cass was quite certain it wasn’t a sudden hatred for Dick.

No. It was shame.

He didn’t want to risk Dick seeing his true feelings. Didn’t want him to see him as broken or bad or wrong. Vulnerable or horrible.

Cass was an Alpha. But unlike most Alphas, she was extremely well trained in picking up scents. Picking out the minute differences between one feeling or another, the tiny traces that few others picked up, able to tell things far better than either the average Omega or the average Alpha.

And Damian was feeling great shame, conflict, fear, sadness, anger, and other things.

She sat next to him today, as he took a break from destroying the shrubbery, drinking water like there might not be more left soon.

She could pick up a wave of irritation and pain as he looked at her with sharp eyes. “Cain.”

“I’m not here to fight,” Cass responded. She could pick up the pheromones starting, the unconscious fear of another Alpha—which would be heightened after something like this. “I wouldn’t hurt you.”

“-tt-. I wouldn’t let you.”

False bravado. Anger at being babied. Relief at not being treated as an enemy.

She looked at him, seeing he felt protective, secretive. “How are you doing?”

She didn’t need a direct answer—the question provoked feelings that almost no one could hide from her, though she did often ignore it in order to give people privacy. But Damian’s smells, whisper thin on the air, alerted her.

He felt shame, fear, anger…and the shame was very directly linked to Tim. In a way that actually surprised her.

“Damian, you…” She didn’t know how to word it, but Damian quickly seemed to guess what she was getting at.

“I didn’t do it for—for some sort of sick—I wouldn’t want to—I don’t even like him, okay? I don’t, it was just—“ An almost vomit blanch seemed to come across his face, and he pleaded, “Don’t tell Dick. Don’t tell anyone.”

And she sort of understood. Sort of. Another Alpha might rage. She would not.

“You actually like Tim.”

Damian’s face crumpled in misery. “Just…don’t tell Dick. He’ll think that’s why I did it, and Jason’ll try to kill me, and Tim…he already hates me enough. I don’t even like him, it—it, it’s complicated.”

And Cass’s heart gave a painful throb. 

Because what this meant was that the bond was going to be more difficult to break. Because if there was attraction there, even if only on one side, it made it that much stronger. And the worse part: it was the equivalent of a grade school crush. A crush on a teacher or friend’s older sibling. It was never meant to be fulfilled.

She could tell by the way his body seemed to thrum with anxious, nerve-wracked energy that Damian knew this complicated this horribly, that it was not something he’d actually wanted to fulfill.

“I won’t.” Cass said this, the small panic seeming to ebb away. Damian’s eyes darted over to her, trying to confirm that she was telling the truth, and seeming satisfied enough.

“It…” he trailed off, shame quickly coloring the space between them. “I didn’t want to.”

“I know.” She would hug him if he would let her. 

But the general fear, anxiety, shame, radiating off of Damian, told her she needed to tell him her story. That he needed to know he wasn’t alone or horrible or broken.

“I know because I’ve been through it.”

Damian’s eyes widened as he looked at her. “You can’t be serious, Cain.”

“My…David Cain believed making a bond and breaking it would…make me immune. Stronger. More to his will.” She swallowed, remembering that. The pain. Physical pain had always been easier than emotional pain. This was indeed one of the things that broke her—away from him.

Damian’s face scrunched up. “How old?”

“Just past puberty.” She still remembered the feeling when the bond was broken—like a hacksaw through her chest.

She still remembered the feeling when the bond was made. Like an agony of sorrow, entirely emotional pain that she could not have fathomed. She couldn’t eat for two days.

Kept trying to soothe the Omega whose name she never got to know.

Who was frightened out of her mind.

They always said Omegas had a more delicate constitution, or mind, but Cass knew that was an error. A wrong assumption.

They just had different survival tactics. Such as checking out of reality. Such as letting fear take over their brains, adrenaline powering them on to fight back and protect themselves.

She suspected Alpha children had these capabilities just as much, but were denied them. And so developed different coping strategies—anger. Outbursts. Trying to hurt others or throw themselves into something else. 

Her outburst had been her escape, a fury borne of sorrow driving her on like a laser point to a way out.

And the fact she seemed to understand made Damian release so much tension. She hadn’t so much as released calming pheromones. People seemed to forget it wasn’t the only way to calm someone—just like a hug was sometimes the wrong choice, so too were voluntary pheromones.

He bit his lip a little. “What did you do about it? How…”

“I…” Cass considered her answer. “She is gone.” She didn’t mean for her voice to break a little on the last word. “But…you can still fix this. With Tim. It doesn’t have to.”

She realized she’d dropped some words, but Damian seemed to understand. No one needed to die here. He swallowed hard.

“He’s so mad.”

“He’s scared,” Cass responded. 

“Why?”

Damian’s question was both a demand and a plea. A need to understand. 

Cass considered this, how to tell Damian. He and Tim were extremely different people, not even taking into account their natures. “He…didn’t want you to.”

“So? I _had_ to. I said so.”

There was a hurt there, a need for Tim to understand. 

“I…think he might know that. He might,” Cass said softly. She hadn’t been there to know how well Damian communicated. She could guess it wasn’t that good, given the others’ reactions. “But this…it would scare you if someone did it to you.”

“No, it wouldn’t. Not if they had to.” Damian’s words were a blatant lie, a refusal to see it differently.

“He was in pain, in fever, and in heat,” Cass pointed out. “Tim doesn’t like not having a choice. It scares him.”

“Well, he’s wrong,” Damian said, suddenly wrapping his arms around his knees. “It’s not fair.”

“Of course it’s not,” Cass agreed.

Damian chewed at his lip. “He’s not stupid. He knows I had to.”

“Fear makes it hard to see. To think,” Cass said, and Damian seemed to flush at that, like it was directed at him.

“I was thinking. I was. I thought of every way out and I knew that they’d just hurt him and there was no way to protect him. I couldn’t fight them all off, it was only the two of us in that cell, Grayson and Todd could have done nothing, and Grandfather—“

Damian stopped, his face suddenly going pale. “…it was planned. It was a plan, all along.”

Cass’s eyes widened at that. “Your grandfather’s?”

Damian nodded, jaw suddenly clamped shut. He looked like all the blood had seeped out of him, like he might be blown away by the wind at any second. Cass delicately put her hands on his shoulders, feeling the horror and shock rolling off of him in waves.

“Let’s go inside. Get some water. Then talk to Dick.” Before Damian could protest, she said, “I won’t tell.”

He silently walked inside not unlike a zombie, ashen face as she got him situated at the kitchen table and got him water.

Dick was not going to like this. But he wasn’t going to be furious with _Damian_ , despite what Damian seemed to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Cass has been trained not only in body language, but in interpreting scents. Since it is a bigger part of this world.
> 
> And she's an Alpha.
> 
> She also has been through this too, though that probably won't be in depth. But yeah. 
> 
> Damian has your typical schoolkid crush on a teacher kinda crush on Tim, which is perfectly normal. As my boyfriend has described to me, you get such crushes in school, starting fairly young.
> 
> However, it's horrific to have that crush go further than that, obviously, and is definitely not something Damian really wanted to do. He is definitely afraid of how such information would be interpretted, though, understandably.
> 
> Tim is in the next chapter--and won't attempt to stab Damian this time, having had a bit more time to come to terms with it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim is calming, some. But things are not really getting better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some disturbing things, I suppose, as is usually the case with this story.

Tim hadn’t attacked Damian on coming in. Had more control this time.

He didn’t feel that overwhelming prickly cold need to protect himself. Simply had his hands bunched together in a fist in front of him, on the farthest side of the kitchen island from Damian, who he refused to look at.

His hands were sweaty but cold. He didn’t like even being able to smell Damian, to catch his scent on the air.

It was hard to explain.

All of his skin felt numb right now, ice cold needles seeming to be underneath and trying to make him shiver. It felt like electricity in his brain, crackling and hurting as he tried to focus on just listening. Just being there as Dick and Jason and Cass heard Damian relate what he knew.

When he ‘revealed’ Ra’s al Ghul’s plan, however, it felt like a thin thread holding Tim’s brain in check snapped. “How the fuck did you not know that? Are you all _morons?_ ”

His brain was crackly and cold and hot as he turned to glare at Damian.

“Babybird knew all along,” Jason murmured, shooting a look towards Damian.

Dick was quick to leap to his defense. “Damian is _twelve_ , he was only trying to save him—“

“Yeah? Well, next time I try to save you, I’ll be sure to bring the lube!”

Tim flinched at that, a full body wretchedness seeming to rot his insides. Cass had circled the table and wrapped her soft arms around his shoulders, not restricting him.

She would let him go. He knew that. She would let go.

“I mean, it’s a gambit, how would Ra’s even know Tim’s heat cycle?” Dick said, more softly, as if he wished Tim weren’t included in the conversation.

Heats only came four times a year. Only for a few days. 

“It is what happened!” Damian said, “You shouldn’t have let Tim out during his quarterly—“

The words were snarling out of Tim’s throat before he could think much on it. “It wasn’t my goddamn heat, fuck you!”

Dick was giving him that look like he was stupid, a little confused. “Tim, we could tell you were definitely in heat, it was kind of obvious. Did you lose track—“

“Fuck you, don’t talk to him like that!” Jason snapped. He looked across at Tim, saying, “Tell him he’s an idiot and why, Babybird.”

“You’re an idiot because it wasn’t time. I had another _month_ ,” Tim said, seeming to regain a grasp on a more calm voice, a grip on acting ‘civil.’

“That can’t be. You merely forgot—“ Damian started.

Tim twitched back, away from Damian, baring his teeth a little as he said, “Fuck you!”

“Drugs.” Cass was the one to say it.

An alarmed understanding dawned on Jason and Dick’s faces. Tim could feel Cass’s arms still soft on his shoulders, and the way they were staring at him made him feel like they could see his thoughts, read his mind, tell that he was just—just small and so easily hurt, and so he dropped his face onto Cass’s arm.

He couldn’t bear to look at them.

How could he honestly look anyone in the eye after this? He wanted to rip his skin off.

Damian spoke then. “It would make sense. Grandfather has an interest in Tim and as I am his heir—“

“Or it’s really convenient for you,” Jason said.

“Jason! Dami—“

“Would you like to fight me, Todd? Do you think for one moment, even if I did want to bond with Tim, I would want to do it that way? I will break your nose if you so much as say such a thing again!”

“You are awfully fucking entitled, so, I actually do think—“

Tim could hear the chair clatter to the floor loudly, the scuffle begin. He was surprised that Cass didn’t move to stop it.

“Jason!” Dick’s voice was booming, and incited a panic in Tim he didn’t quite understand, like frantic cold water in his stomach. “That is enough, he is a goddamn child and he’s a victim of this too!”

Cass had gathered him close, Tim realized, as his breath was whistling in and out. Somehow, somehow, he wasn’t running even though his skin crawled with the need to get away from the angry Alpha pheromones.

Cass was covering his ears, one against her chest and the other with her hand. She was also pressing on the back of his neck with her forearm and securely encircling him with her other arm. He didn’t feel safe, but he did.

It was hard to describe.

His mind was still blaring that any attention from an Alpha was _bad_ , any potential of attention was too much and going to hurt him—

But Cass had him.

He could trust Cass.

Then why was he shaking?

He thought he could feel Cass humming softly, the vibrations seeming to quell some of the staticky panic going through his brain. The fact that he couldn’t hear the confrontation anymore should have panicked him more, should have been a major red flag.

And it was, he realized.

Even Cass seemed startled when he broke away from her, clattering to the ground with his crutches. “No! You don’t get to just—just--”

Dick was next to him, still reeking of rage even if that wasn’t his face, reeking of having had to have a fight and put someone in his place--

The next someone could be Tim, his brain supplied.

The crutch had been swung out before he reasoned it out, that yellow-white electric fear thrumming through his veins. “No!”

And suddenly his arms were pinned, his upper torso held tight, and a face pressed hard against the bite. It sent sparks of angry red pain through his neck, but he also found his body involuntarily relaxing, going almost limp.

The arms were pried away by someone else fast, but Tim slumped a bit anyway. His eyesight felt too bleary, too far away, to really piece together what was happening. It was like he wasn’t really there, and that seemed to calm him.

Even as it looked like people were shouting at each other enough to go red in the face.

The floor whooshed away from him, the motion making him dizzier. He recognized that he was in someone’s arms, watching the ceiling move quickly.

The person didn’t seem to talk.

–

Damian was _trying to help._

He didn’t know how many times he could shout this at Todd, the imbecile, or even at Grayson, who seemed unable to choose a side.

If he could use the bond bite to calm Tim down, why shouldn’t he? Why _wouldn’t_ he? He wasn’t hurting him, there was nothing inherently harmful in what he did.

After the screaming match, Todd had stormed off to make sure Cain was taking adequate care of Tim. As if Todd would ever be a good choice to look after Tim. And Grayson remained, looking at him with those blue eyes in that look Damian had never quite understood. Almost sad, he thought.

“Dami...you understand why that wasn’t okay, right?” Grayson said it like he desperately hoped Damian did.

Damian considered. What did Grayson want him to say? That he was sorry he used a non harmful method to fix the problem? That he was sorry that Tim was acting like he was insane? How was it his fault? “I...understand why.”

Grayson’s face fell. “No, you don’t...”

So Damian was honest. “No, I don’t! Why was that wrong? Why are you so angry with me? I _helped_ him, and it didn’t harm him in any way! What is wrong with you all?”

And Grayson sank into a seat. “Damian...it’s...a bond is usually forged through trust, right?”

He sounded like he’d swallowed bitter chalk. Damian considered again. “Yes. So?”

“You know that your bond...wasn’t. So, doing something like that is usually something...uh…oh god...” Grayson collected his thoughts. He looked very tired. “It’s something that the bondmate would already trust you with. It’s a hormone thing, I think...though that was a very strong reaction. I haven’t seen that very often, and I’m worried about...”

He sighed. “If he doesn’t trust you, it’s not fair to him.”

Damian didn’t see it that way. His gut was uncomfortable, a sort of burning in it at the injustice. “But I didn’t _hurt_ him, how can it be wrong?”

Grayson ran a hand through his hair. Damian wasn’t sure he’d showered in the past couple days. “Damian...there are other kinds of hurt. Imagine...how did you feel when Talia left you here?”

A surge of unpleasantness made itself known at the back of Damian’s throat, and his lips tightened. “It would not be the same.”

“How about...when Bruce came back?”

Damian felt like his ribcage was being picked at. He felt vulnerable in a way he was not comfortable with—he was never comfortable with it. And he could feel the shame coloring his cheeks as he was forced to remember that he’d had to be vulnerable too for the bond to take place.

It felt like unlocking something he’d always intended to hide. It felt like shoving another piece into an already full chest.

He didn’t like it.

And he didn’t like Grayson making him think about it.

“I did nothing wrong,” Damian said flatly, and turned to leave. “If you wish to commiserate with Todd on how awful I am, I’m sure he’ll be happy to oblige.”

And he ran, despite Grayson calling after him. 

He ran outside, into the dimming evening. He ran like his shoes had been bad and needed to be worn down to obedience again. He ran like it was the only thing he needed to do to survive.

He ran into the twilight, and into the dark.

It was sweat coursing down his face.

Damian, of the name al Ghul, of the name Wayne, and of a deadly heritage, did not cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in this verse, the bond bite is able to activate hormones. Tim's response is unusually strong, though.
> 
> I hope I did okay. It's been an interesting day in terms of recovery. DX
> 
> And I guess I base Tim's fear off my own, in some ways. When a big 'thing' has gone down, I am definitely on high alert like that and frightened easily. I feel like the drugs have only heightened such a response, but it's still a fairly natural response, in my opinion.
> 
> And of course Tim figured it out. But he was vaguely incoherent and having a hard time communicating.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian is missing, and Dick knows he needs to find him. With how things have gone, he doesn't expect anything good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steph shows up. :)

Damian was gone.

Missing was the better word, but Dick couldn't find him. And his heart was starting to race in fear for where Damian might have gone. What he might be doing--who might be with him.

He was vulnerable, Dick realized this more acutely than he had in the beginning.

It had been two goddamn hours of him and Cassandra combing the grounds, checking leads, doing everything they could.

Barbara was checking satellites, and Steph had declared she was coming on being contacted. She was a solid ten minutes away, even using the fastest transportation, at that moment.

And Dick had to turn to Tim.

He really didn't want to. His other little brother, the one he'd always pledged to protect, much like Damian, was a wreck. In general and at this particular moment.

He was in his room, had commanded Cass to leave, and then had locked the door. Dick was at a loss as to why Cass had listened, but he started to ask, both Cass and Jason had given him looks like he was the dumbass here.

Now, he was outside the door again, where Jason had taken up a station.

Jason looked up as he approached, frown on his face, even though Cass was with him. Jason trusted Cass more than Dick at the moment and in general. "What do you want?" Jason demanded.

Dick sighed. "Damian's missing. I need Tim to--"

"No, fuck that shit," Jason snapped, cutting him off. "You're not making him use it."

"Jason, I'm going to ask _him_ , not you, so stop it."

Dick kind of wanted to strangle Jason. Didn't he get that Damian could be in danger?

But Jason seemed to almost bare his teeth, snapping, "What, so you can force him to do what you want? Cause you and I both know how fucking easy that would be, so fuck you. You don't get to see him cause you're a goddamn asshole."

"Jason, Damian is a twelve year old boy out there alone! He's scared--"

"He fucking should be, cause I'll--"

Jason was cut off, the sound of a sharp hit shocking Dick and Jason alike. Cass was glaring at Jason, and said, "He is a child, Jason."

Her accusatory tone seemed to shame him, and despite the red mark blossoming on his cheek, he only glared down at his feet, given he was seated. He clenched and unclenched his teeth. "That doesn't make it right. Tim's terrified--"

"So is Damian," Cass responded, tone firm. Accusatory once again. "You protected children back then. How old?"

Jason's jaw twitched. It was easy enough to know that Jason had defended kids Damian's age and older. Alpha kids included. He let out a huff, one that sounded almost disappointed with himself. He sounded like he wanted to keep being furious with Damian. "We told him...we told him to fucking stop. Timbers--he _knew_ it was a setup. Why in fuck's name didn't Damian listen?"

He sounded as angry about Damian as his own shortcomings, Dick realized with a shock. Jason didn't just blame Damian.

He blamed himself.

And, as always, the anger was taken out on almost everyone else, especially those who he could lash out at. 

It wasn't okay, it wasn't reasonable--but Dick understood.

"Jason, please. Let us talk to Tim."

That was all it took. Jason moved aside, and knocked on the door. "Timbers? Cass and Dick want to talk to you. I'll come in with them. No shit's gonna go down."

They could hear a muffled voice, which sounded an awful lot like 'yeah right' and the door creaked open partway. Tim's bloodshot eyes took them in, as calculating and deducing as ever. He looked like shit, and he pretty much had since the whole thing.

So did Damian, though, Dick realized.

Tim opened the door, but instead of letting them in, came out. He stood close to Jason, eyeing the both of them like he might bolt if they gave him reason to. "What do you want?"

Dick took a calming breath, thinking on how to word it. It was vital they find Damian, and he needed Tim to understand that. That it wasn't the time to just say no. "Tim, I really hate to ask this of you, but Damian's gone missing. It's very important that we find him, to be sure he's safe. So, I need you to track him with your bond."

Tim seemed to recoil, face going pale and stepping back towards Jason a little. He worried his lip, looking like it might bleed from the force, but he hadn't said anything yet. He was tense, Dick realized, debating it over. And as always, lately, he could smell the fear on him.

Jason didn't say anything to the effect of 'you don't have to,' which was nice. He moved a little closer, putting a steadying hand on Tim's shoulder.

"I...I'll do it," Tim muttered. "I have to."

Not a response Dick really loved hearing, but it was better than no. He said, "Okay, I need you to reach out and--"

"Shut the fuck up, you're not an Omega, Dick," Jason snapped. "That's not even how it works."

"Neither are you, Jason."

"Oh, so you being the literal polar opposite is the same as me being in the middle or some shit? Nice logic there."

"I wasn't claiming to know better than you, Jason, so stop it."

"Yeah, but you think you do. You think you know fucking everything cause you think with your dick."

"That's totally uncalled for, Jason--"

"Whoa!" Stephanie's voice cut in, "Holy shit, you guys need to calm down!"

Dick looked over. Stephanie was standing there, hands on her hips and her t-shirt declaring 'O stands for Over Your Shit'. She walked over with a strong stride, to Tim, and standing in between Dick and Jason. 

"Steph," Tim murmured, a small voice like he wasn't sure if he was really relieved to see her or he wished she hadn't seen him ever again.

"Hey Tim," she said almost brightly, like it was normal. She looked back at Dick. "You said Damian was missing, right? And you want Tim to find him. But have you checked the normal hiding spots?"

She was sort of shielding Tim with her body, chest thrust out some in a defiant way while the expression on her face was close enough to pleasant. 

Some days, Dick wondered if she really was an Omega, with the way she acted so confident and outright aggressive at times. He hadn't known a lot of Omegas like her. At all. She was like sunshine--she'd burn you.

"Yes? He usually goes on the roof, and among the topiaries," Dick said. "We combed the grounds."

Steph shook her head. "I know some places. Come on."

The sag in Tim's shoulders was relief, Dick realized. And he wondered for a moment how the locating worked with a bond like that. How it actually felt, and how it functioned.

It was an Omega instinct--to seek out their partner. They could sense where they were, and Dick had kind of thought of it like a tracker. Obviously with more feelings and more abstract thought involved, he wasn't stupid, but he hadn't thought on it long.

Cass and Tim were already following Steph, and Dick followed as well. To his surprise, Jason actually followed Steph's lead--though maybe he shouldn't have been surprised, what with the way Jason seemed to think he and even Cass were out to get Tim.

Barbara called at that instant, and Dick answered. "Hey. No leads yet, but do you know when the big man is supposed to get back?"

"Not soon enough," Dick sighed, "He should be back his mission in space in a few more days."

"'Space' is very nonspecific," Babs commented dryly. She quickly moved on. "Anyway, if we can't get him back, we have to deal with this problem on our own. Someone's taken keys, access codes to some of the city's big tech developers--particularly those in weapons-related fields--I need whoever you can spare."

"Can't you get Black Canary or something?" Dick said back, feeling like this was far too much to deal with. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a huge crisis, but it felt like one now. It felt heavier than ever.

"No? She's 'in space' too. All I got at the moment is an assortment of bats and birds," Babs replied, and Dick could hear the eyeroll.

But her voice was more somber the next moment. "I really wouldn't ask if I had anyone else to point at it. I really wouldn't."

Dick sighed. They were outside now, Steph pulling open the door to her car. She got in without a word, Tim sinking into the front passenger seat. He looked strangely small in the seat.

Jason crowded into the back with Cass, who sat in the middle to leave space for Dick.

Dick sighed. "Really? Not you, Babs. I'll ask Cass and Jason."

"Thanks. I owe you. Except, you already owe me so much it cancels out."

Dick laughed a little. "Okay. See you."

He got into the car, and set about explaining the situation. 

Jason and Cass were as receptive as he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this taking so long. Life has been interesting.
> 
> And obviously there are messed up views in this, so yes, I am aware.
> 
> And Steph's role in Tim's life is going to become more clear. :D And Damian's, for that matter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim reflects, Damian is found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly PTSD stuff in the beginning.

“No, fuck you,” Jason growled. 

The sound made Tim flinch a little. He felt like he was on high alert, all the time, even though he really didn’t have the energy for it. It was like he was always low key alert, and this had kicked it into hyperdrive.

He felt _everything_. Even small noises and touches and feelings demanded his attention, the frantic feeling of ‘or else you’ll die!’ echoing around in his skull like a bouncy ball hitting all the sides. It was almost painful.

He felt like his body would give out at any moment, and it _just couldn’t_. He couldn’t let it.

Steph was looking over at him in concern, but she didn’t ask questions, thank god. He could smell Dick and Cass in the car all too well, and even Jason was putting him on edge. He had such a loud voice, and it normally didn’t bother him much, but it felt like a cheese grater against his brain now.

He kind of…he wanted to bury his face in Steph’s shoulder. He wanted to be close and feel safe.

But he couldn’t do that, seeing as they weren’t dating anymore and Steph…he couldn’t know how she’d react. He couldn’t know it was safe, and what if it set Damian off? He didn’t know. He just didn’t. And it killed him.

The terror seemed unreasonable, unnatural, but he couldn’t shake it. 

Steph rolled her eyes at the arguing, looking over at Tim with a conspiratorial smirk. He could hear Cass defying the idea as well, as Steph drove along. He almost smiled back, feeling the corner of his mouth crook up as he wanted to laugh along, but then Jason shouted and his teeth tightened involuntarily.

“Why the fuck can’t you go? You really think you’re the best hands for this—this fucked up shit? I wouldn’t trust your Alpha ass further than I can throw it, asshole!”

“And this is why you need to go, because you’re exploding over nothing! You’re being unreasonably aggressive about this, Jay—“

“Oh, yeah? So you admit you want me gone so you can screw Tim over?”

“That was not an admission and it’s not true! Cass, don’t look at me like that, I can’t send Jason alone.”

Tim tuned it out, or at least, he wanted to. He actually could tune almost nothing out. He startled a little more than he expected to when Steph laid a hand on roughly his knee, driving with her free hand.

“Hey Tim. You hungry? You look hungry. You want a cereal bar?”

And Tim might have balked had it been anyone else. But Steph wasn’t trying to force him, and he probably hadn’t eaten in a while.

Not since…Tim frowned. He couldn’t remember when he’d last eaten.

But he still said, “No thanks.”

He wasn’t actually hungry. He just hadn’t eaten for a while. Similarly, he wasn’t sure when he’d last drank anything, given he hadn’t used a bathroom in a while. He kind of refused to dwell on that, and wished he had something to keep him occupied in the car. So he wouldn’t have to think.

“Here we are!” Steph sang out, and the bickering ceased in the back seat.

It was a park. A normal enough park. It had a yellow plastic slide and a jungle gym and a teeter totter. 

Well, that wasn’t entirely normal, a lot of parks didn’t have those, given the ‘danger’ inherent in them, but Tim still took in the scene, focusing on all the details, from the tire rubber ‘mulch’ to the forlorn tire swing hanging by one chain, stuck hanging sideways.

He didn’t make a move to get out, but Steph unlocked all the doors with a click.

And Dick was a fucking gentleman and opened his door for him, and it took all Tim had not to snarl and run, the pulse of fear a thrum in his chest. 

Steph came around, though, and grabbed Dick, leading towards a likely hiding place for Damian.

Who Tim really did not want to see. He couldn’t put into words why, feelings like sick and angry and terrified going through him, and he kind of wanted to hurl. Instead, he shakily got out, reminding himself to just breathe, Damian wasn’t going to do anything, couldn’t, wouldn’t, even though he’d tried to kill Tim once.

That was definitely not something he needed to remember right now.

He cautiously moved forward to find Jason flanking him, keeping a close eye, but not in a babysitting way. More like, ‘if these goddamn Alphas try anything, I got your back’ kind of way.

They were all in civvies. They might almost pass for a normal ish family group thing.

Jason followed him as he walked out, acutely feeling the rub of the bits of tire rubber beneath his shoes—not a squeak, pretty soundless. He focused on that, and then on the feeling of the metal swingset, rubbing a thumb along the smooth green.

It was chilled, and Tim found himself shivering. It’d been pretty chilly lately, so even though he was wearing a hoodie, he found himself very cold lately. He tucked his hands in his pockets, then took them back out again, a sort of tremor seeming to go through and remind him that it _wasn’t safe_ even though it very well might have been.

He wasn’t sure. It felt like his danger sensor was broken.

That was about when he heard an outraged cry, and turned to see Damian charging Dick.

\--

Damn, Dick really knew how to handle a hormonal and traumatized young Alpha. 

Or rather, he didn’t, Steph thought wryly, as Damian swung at Dick. 

“It wasn’t my fault and you should go disembowel yourself!” Damian snarled, evidently having decided they were here to punish him.

“Dami, come on, I’m not here because I’m mad at you, I was worried about you—“

“Let me make this clear: you can go light your bowels on fire after ripping them out of your body, or I will do it for you,” Damian snarled.

His face was pinkish. His smell was rage, but that often masked fear. And his fists were balled up, ready to hit Dick—or attempt once again, anyway.

Steph let out a whistle at that point. “Okay, Dami, you don’t have to talk to Dick if you don’t want to. But, here’s the cool thing: you can talk to me. And I’m not gonna be mad.”

As Damian sneered, she added, “Or, you know, you could go talk to Jason. _Somebody_ here needs to talk with you, so we can sort this shit out. Okay?”

Damian seemed to consider this. He was rarely easily convinced, but he seemed to give up easily this time. Like he’d been desperately hoping someone would listen to him. “Grayson, I desire to be alone. Go elsewhere.”

Dick granted it, looking a little strained, but evidently trusting Steph knew what to do.

She kind of did. She hoped.

She drew Damian towards his hiding spot among the bushes, and settled down in a cross-legged position. “Kay. What happened?”

Damian’s lip curled. “Timothy didn’t tell you? I’m sure he’ll be glad to tell you how horrible I am—“

“Tim hasn’t talked to anyone about it, least of all me. Come on, Dami. I’m not gonna say you’re horrible. I’m going to listen.” Stephanie hoped she was convincing. That she made him feel sort of safe at least.

Damian considered for a moment. Then he looked towards the side, pretending he found something interesting in the trees beyond. “I was trying to calm Tim down. He was panicking for unknown reasons, and so I used the bite—the hold. I’ve seen it before. It calms an Omega, and he needed to be calmed.”

Stephanie nodded. She didn’t throw in any judgements. “Okay. And they got mad at you?”

“Yes, they did,” Damian muttered, “Grayson says it was inappropriate, because Tim didn’t want me to. But they do things Tim doesn’t want them to do all the time! How is it any different?”

Steph huffed a sigh. “Probably cause they don’t know they’re hypocrites.”

She knew she and Tim had long faced an uphill battle in the ‘Bat Family.’ He more so than her in some ways, and her moreso than him in others. He was the first Omega on the team, but she’d had to deal with also being an ‘abnormal’ Omega and apparently ‘corrupting’ Tim.

Which meant in normal people words that she was counternature as fuck and they dated. What they didn’t seem to realize was that Tim was counternature too, even if less overtly so than Steph. They weren’t all that into Alphas or even Betas, though that depended.

Tim had shown some attraction to his Kryptonian teammate at one point, who would be considered a Beta due to his alien physiology, but for Steph it had always been other O’s.

Damian, meanwhile, was as stereotypically Alpha as she’d seen, no counternature going on. And so he was afforded less pity, even while having more freedom than her or Tim. He was looking at her now, frown on his face.

“Tell them they’re being ridiculous. I only did this to save Tim, not to hurt him,” Damian grumbled.

There was a certain desperation there, though, if you knew to look for it.

Steph sighed, trying to let go of the image of Tim going through that. She’d heard very little of the details, but she couldn’t even imagine being force-bonded.

Being counternature meant pretty much nothing in the face of that.

“Why don’t you explain it to me how you’re going to explain it to them?” she offered, resting her elbows on her knees.

Damian’s nose wrinkled a little, but eventually it smoothed out. Steph waited.

Then he sighed shortly. “It was a routine enough mission…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is partly based off my own feelings. I know living off sheer terror for a couple of days or more, and I hope I described it well. It's a bit hard to impart.
> 
> As for Steph, even though she loves Tim, she also cares about Damian and knows he must be going through hell over this. They both are.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things seem somewhat more sorted out between Damian and Tim--and the rest of the family.

The fact that Damian explained to Steph should have set Dick’s stomach at ease. It really didn’t, especially not the way he could see Tim pale. His hand clenched the swing set pipe, a thick metal, and he didn’t look at any of them.

He didn’t have his hood up, but he’d never quite had the same abilities as Damian when it came to functioning fully with a hood on. 

Tim seemed to flinch back slightly when Damian came towards them, still very visibly on edge, but he said and did nothing. 

Damian, meanwhile, had all sorts of pheromones coming off of him in waves. Dick wasn’t even able to pick it all out, what with the general mess, but he seemed to pick up both shame and anger. The boy’s eyes suddenly came up to meet his, green that seemed almost vicious before it cooled a little. “I have something to say.”

Steph made an encouraging gesture, and then glared at Jason.

Presumably, Jason was being an ass.

Dick nodded slowly.

Damian took a breath, and then said, “I didn’t bond with Tim because I wanted to. I felt it was the only way to secure his safety, as my grandfather’s tactic with Omegas in heat is to have his underlings mate with them until they expire. It’s a fear tactic, obviously, usable only with a group of captives.”

Dick flinched at that, swallowing hard. He really didn’t want to picture that happening to Tim, because seeing what did happen had been hard enough. 

He thought he heard Jason growl a little.

Damian’s eyes darted to Jason, and he said, voice surprisingly crisp, “I could not have known Cain would show up at the time she did. No one could have but Cain.”

Dick just...didn’t know how to react to this. He’d yelled at Damian til his throat hurt, knew Jason had done the same. But Damian’s stubbornness won out and he did what he presumed to be best.

“Oh, well that makes it okay then--” Jason started.

Steph snapped, “Shut up, Jason, let him talk, okay?”

Jason looked like he might try to fight Steph. His hands were curled by his sides, elbows bent a little. He clearly wanted to sock her, but he was probably fighting against the idea that she was also an Omega, and not an ‘asshole Alpha.’

“I told you,” Tim’s voice came quietly.

“You never said a word about Cain,” Damian insisted, barely turning to look at Tim. “It was the only course of action to take with the circumstances as presented.”

“Except that I told you otherwise,” Tim said, voice growing a little in volume. His hand clenched the metal pole, and he still wasn’t quite looking up. 

Steph looked between the two of them, brow creasing a little. 

Damian seemed to flush slightly, and said, “My intentions were good. My grandfather would normally have the plan as described--”

“But it wasn’t normal. It wasn’t and I told you it wasn’t,” Tim insisted.

Dick was trying to remember what, of all Tim said, he’d been able to make out. It was not an experience he enjoyed revisiting, but he put in gently, “Tim, most of what you were saying was nonsense. Or, I mean,” he corrected himself at the looks on both Steph’s and Jason’s faces, “I mean it was very hard to tell what you were saying or what you meant.”

Tim’s hand somehow clenched tighter on the metal pole. He didn’t say anything.

Jason, on the other hand, snapped, “What about when he was saying no? Was that ‘nonsense’ too, Dick?”

Dick could see the way Damian was going into a defensive posture. The way he was feeling very attacked. He let out a sigh. Damian probably had fully meant to do the right thing. He could believe that. He could believe it hadn’t been easy for him either. 

“It was Ra’s’s plan,” Tim murmured, catching all their attentions. “He told me.”

Dick’s mouth went dry. Tim really had known all along. “Why didn’t you tell us? Immediately?”

Tim’s mouth tightened, and he said, “I tried. They injected me. I don’t know with what, besides….besides the heat-inducing hormones.”

He rubbed along his arm at that, what the cast allowed. 

“I also knew Cass was coming.”

Jason cursed loudly, and Dick turned to look at Cass, and she seemed to read his instant request for confirmation.

“They gave up too easily,” she said softly, “I believed they might want me.”

Dick’s stomach was churning, he could see Damian was a little pale, and he looked to Tim, demanding, “Why would he tell you all this? He had to know you’d tell us--”

“--after,” Tim finished for him rather flatly. His jaw clenched, and he looked towards the ground. “The bond’s there. It’s too late, no matter what I tell you now.”

His eyes were shining a little, and a fire seemed to burn in Dick’s chest. He wondered if Ra’s took sadistic pleasure in all this, because he didn’t see a lot of reason to tell Tim except…

To freak him out. To help whatever they did along. 

And now that he thought back, Tim had done his best to stay calm and try to communicate. If he’d been in the cell with Dick or Jason, at worst, he would probably have been curled up next to them suffering through it.

But Damian was likely to overstep someone else’s bounds in the interest of protecting them—much like his father. Damian was stubborn and often too sure he was right. And frankly, quite dismissive of Tim’s abilities due to his nature and his occupying the spot Damian wanted: Robin.

And now Dick’s chest hurt for a new reason: Damian’s empathy, his feelings towards Tim and wanting to protect his family, had been used against him. They had all been played.

Damian was glaring at the ground, eyes full of tears that he clearly refused to let go or acknowledge.

Tim wasn’t looking at them either.

“He wanted you two bonded, and he wanted you to live,” Dick said softly. He’d known Ra’s had been after Tim before, had offered both a place in the League and a place at his side in varied ways throughout the past year or so.

Tim had unambiguously turned him down.

In other words, if Damian had listened, they may not be in this situation at all.

On the other hand, Dick wasn’t sure what Ra’s would have done if it hadn’t worked.

Cass had moved to tuck Tim against her shoulder, and he let her. Tim was certainly and had always been more one for hugs than most of their family, Dick felt. He was probably the one who topped Tim in hugging, and then maybe sometimes Cass, depending. 

Damian stood straight as a steel rod, like he dared anyone to attempt hugging him.

And Dick wanted so much to hug him. He wasn’t certain he would be allowed to approach, as Damian might feel threatened or--

Or aggressive, like the pheromones coming off of him in waves seemed to indicate, his eyes darting towards Cass and looking away but unable to hide the feelings.

He was only twelve. Dick wondered at how he had controlled the natural protective (or outright possessive) urge that followed bonding. It was usually a lot more...nurturing and healthy, Dick supposed, in a healthy and willing bonded relationship. With Damian, it had to be a fucking mess.

But Steph stepped in, suddenly hugging him and smoothing down his hair. 

She was projecting calm and caring and...what Dick realized were mothering scents. There was a technical name or something, but it was usually something that developed in Omegas to help with bonding (not in the mating way) with their babies. It was one reason Omegas were said to be better parents always than Betas.

And Steph had had a baby, and while Dick wasn’t about to rejoice about that, knowing how difficult that had been, he was somewhat thankful. Because the fact she could do that meant that the tension was bleeding out of Damian’s posture slowly, face turned slightly towards her as she smoothed carefully.

He looked like, if he were less conditioned against affection, he would bury his face in her shoulder or chest.

Dick took a quiet breath, looking between his two youngest brothers. He wouldn’t have wanted either of them in this position ever, even without the other involved. Now, it was extraordinarily painful.

But it was how it was, and he had better do what he could to fix it.

So, he stepped forward and said, softly, “Damian, I’m not mad at you. And I’m sorry. I know you were trying to do the right thing. From here on out, we’re going to try to work through this, okay?”

Thank god, thank _god_ , Jason said nothing. Did nothing to incite the tension back.

Damian’s eyes landed on Dick for a moment, something just so vulnerable there, and he gave a nod. He quickly looked away.

Steph looked relieved, and also like she kind of wanted to cuddle Damian. He wouldn’t allow it, though, so she didn’t.

“Tim’s cold,” Cass said, bringing Dick’s attention back to Tim. 

And Tim did look very cold, skin pale and trying to hide the fact he couldn’t keep his lips from trembling—or alternately, his teeth from chattering. “’m fine.”

Dick let out a sigh, and said, “We need to do a tox screen. We need to find out what they gave you, Timmy.”

Tim seemed to bristle a little at the nickname, which surprised Dick.

Jason looked over at Tim, not saying anything, but it seemed to prompt Tim to speak.

“I know that. I’m not a baby. If you would just listen to me--”

“Tim, I know this is hitting hard, but you’ve had a hard time communicating--”

“ _Because you keep interrupting me!_ ” Tim suddenly shouted at him, voice loud enough that it seemed to crack at the end. Tim hadn’t spoken loud very much lately, and it startled Dick. He took a step towards Tim, confused at whether to be worried or angry or what have you.

“Fucking tell him,” Jason murmured.

“Shut up, Jason--”

“No, you’re talking to me right now, not him!” Tim snapped, and that brought Dick’s attention back, a bit of shock playing in his brain.

He hadn’t really been ignoring Tim now that he was bonded...was he?

He paid plenty of attention to Tim. It would be ridiculous to think otherwise. He made sure he was in his room, fed, safe, treated…

“Tim, please calm down,” Dick murmured, trying a soothing tone.

“You can’t make me,” Tim growled, though that was a more a challenge than a statement of truth. Of course Dick could, if he worked at it. 

“Sit down, now, you’re clearly very cold and we need to make sure you’re all right,” Dick said sternly, using _that_ tone, a commanding one.

To his surprise, it wasn’t Tim who spoke next, or made a move next.

Damian was suddenly standing in front of him, eyes sparking a little and face still red and rough from crying. “Stop it this instant, Grayson. Timothy is more than intelligent enough to understand what’s going on and make his decisions. You are being condescending.”

Dick could see Steph hide an almost grin behind her hand, and she had definitely called Damian out on being condescending so many times. It apparently stuck.

And Dick’s skin seemed to flush hot a little. He could tell by the smirk on Jason’s face, the look from Tim, Steph, and even Cass, that they agreed.

Maybe he was. He had to concede that, maybe.

Maybe he should put himself on that mission. “I...apologize,” he finally murmured. He looked to Jason. “We should go put a stop to the robbery. I trust Cass and Steph—and Damian and Tim.”

He didn’t add ‘of course,’ but they all seemed to know he almost hadn’t said it.

Jason shrugged. “Fine. I trust blonde and psycho more than you any day.”

“Get your own ride, me and mine are taking my car,” Steph said with a grin.

Tim seemed to bundle in next to Cass, of all things, and Damian took the front seat. Well, Cass seemed set on wrapping Tim in as many blankets as possible, so that made sense.

Dick figured he and Jason could handle it quickly. They’d be back soon.

He was wrong.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian and Tim are back at the cave with Steph and Cass.
> 
> Testing happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this makes sense.

Damian could not have known that things were about to get significantly worse. He wasn’t psychic, though, of course, he probably knew his grandfather better than anyone.

The screen for toxins brought up results that clearly set Brown and Tim ill at ease. Damian stared at the results, and said, “That’s a...a hallucinogenic, and--”

“It’s a cocktail,” Tim put in, mouth tight, still looking cold, “Traces still of the hallucinogen, a muscle relaxant, lithium, _speed_ \--”

He didn’t name the next one, which Damian didn’t recognize. “What is that?”

Tim’s mouth tightened further, and refused to let words out.

“That’s the heat stimulant,” Brown said gently, “It’s...well, there’s still some traces, but it’s not active anymore.”

Tim looked as though he would much prefer to have his hooded Red Robin cowl. Damian didn’t blame him, in all honesty, as he would much prefer that were he Tim.

Damian cleared his throat and looked back, remarking, “It’s a wonder your entire neurological system wasn’t destroyed by all of this. I suppose you’ve always had unusual tenacity.”

Again, Tim didn’t respond. Damian wasn’t entirely certain as to why.

He sensed a lot of tension coming from him, but not quite the terror of before. Still there, still a scent that he had never noticed coming from Tim before, but not the levels they’d been at. And now Cain was looking at Tim in a strange way, as was Brown.

“Tim, it’s just a cup,” was what Brown said comfortingly, which made little sense.

Until Damian saw Tim flinch, and then instantly realized what she was talking about. He could feel the blood drain out his own face, the thought of, ‘I am twelve years old. I cannot be a father’ going through his mind. And he could see the blue-capped cup in Brown’s hand, and he knew what it was for.

“Do we need to know now?” 

They all turned to stare at him, like what he’d blurted was strange.

Of course it was strange. Damian did not simply blurt things, and he smoothed over his expression to something appearing more calm. “My point being,” he continued, like he had a solid argument, “What does it matter at this moment?”

Tim looked strangely like he wanted to agree with him.

Brown seemed to consider a moment, then lock eyes with Cain, saying, “Can you talk with Damian over there? You know, Alpha to Alpha and all?”

It was clear she was trying to get Tim alone, and Damian could see Tim blanch a little. He probably did not want to be alone with Brown, and that might have been understandable. Damian would especially not want to be alone with Brown if he were the one who could be pregnant.

But Cain’s hand ghosted onto his arm, gentle, and he chose to walk with her. He found that words were very difficult to force from his mouth, given his general horror at the sudden realization he might be a father. He might be a father at an age where he was supposed to be just learning his societal role. Where he was supposed to be just starting to establish himself as an entity.

And now, he was thrust into a role he was in no way ready for. Less ready than even Tim, he thought, because surely Tim had been talked to, been preparing for the day he’d have a mate—it should have been much sooner for him than for Damian.

It wasn’t really all that fair, but by now, Damian knew that a sense of unfairness was actually a sense of weakness.

Cain looked at him with that infuriating sympathy in her eyes, that one that suggested she would look out for him like a baby kitten. Or perhaps like a mix between that and an adult cat one knew one couldn’t help.

Too old, too hurt to fix, but one still wanted to.

He stayed silent, perching on a railing. He didn’t particularly want to talk to Cain about how this was affecting him. And he most certainly didn’t want to consider what Tim being pregnant could mean for him, for them, even for the child, should they survive.

Cain leaned against the railing next to him, saying nothing still. 

He didn’t wish to talk to her. She shouldn’t bother him, because she should know he didn’t wish to talk to her.

“If Tim is...if it tests positive,” Damian said, begrudging Cain this allowance, “Then it changes little. I’m not old enough to be a responsible parent, and frankly, neither is he. We...we wouldn’t be able to keep them, clearly, and the bond will be broken, somehow, and it will be as it should be. As it was.”

Cain looked at him with those sad eyes. “You know a bond isn’t easy. It won’t break soon.”

Damian could feel a curl of frustration in his stomach, in his chest. It wasn’t fair for him to have to deal with this, in any case, but Cain wasn’t helping. “It has to. We’re... _technically_ brothers, are we not? Can you imagine a more inappropriate relationship? Can you think of something that would be doomed to failure any more than _this_?”

Cain was quiet. He’d perhaps shown her the error of her thinking.

Then she spoke again. “Damian, if you break the bond, you will hurt Tim.”

“I’ve already hurt him,” Damian growled, voice low in his throat. He could feel it scratch up and out of it, and he hated it. He hated having a voice, which was nonsensical.

Cain put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and murmured, “You think that, but it could be worse. It can always be worse.”

Damian stayed quiet now. If he attempted to forcefully break the bond, which still had a miniscule chance at working, he would likely harm Tim. He would feel it stronger than Damian would, or so Damian had been told. He certainly couldn’t tell what it was like from an Omega’s end, or even an Alpha’s.

And if Tim was pregnant? It would be impossible, at least until the child was born.

He swallowed hard at that thought. He very much didn’t want to be a father, but if he was one already, what was he supposed to do?

The sick thought occurred that the al Ghul family had been known to kill off their progeny if they were inconvenient or so on, and he laughed by accident. 

It sounded more frightened than it should have. Justifiably, he should have sounded like he was having a short laugh at Cain’s concern, not fear.

But Cain enfolded him against her chest as if he truly was frightened, stroking his hair. She put him slightly on edge, and yet didn’t. It was absurd, and he could only think that perhaps he’d come to identify her as a non-threat in all of this, which was stupid. He shouldn’t consider anyone a non-threat, not even here.

And he certainly didn’t want to cuddle closer, her Alpha scent somehow not overwhelming, somehow something tolerable.

It was about then, as his neck went more slack, that the yelp sent him bolting upright, the instinct to protect first and foremost, and then the thought that he didn’t need to protect Tim forcing its way through.

Tim was looking at the screen. He was staring. And Damian suddenly wasn’t sure what the yelp meant, what the results were, and his palms were very damp very suddenly. He wiped them on his pants without even remembering that that was weakness, was bad manners, was any number of things that his mother would scold him for.

Cain laid an arm around his shoulder, as if asking if he was ready.

He wasn’t. He didn’t know that he ever would be.

How could anyone be?

But they trudged over to find out what Tim and Stephanie had discovered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tests give Tim and Damian the result they want, but things get complicated when Talia shows up.

Tim felt like a deflating balloon. He felt like all the air had been released and he might collapse bonelessly into a chair.

“Nothing. It came up nothing,” he said, letting out a breath and thanking a god he’d never truly believed in. 

His skin still felt needle-pricked all over, but his trembling muscles felt like a relief instead of a panic. 

He could see Damian near him, in a similar state of relief. Then, because he was Damian, he turned right to business to cover up his relief. “Right. Then we must get right on breaking the bond somehow.”

Tim nodded, before Steph said, “Guys, you both know that that’s really dangerous. We have to wait a little first, at least--”

“Why?” Damian demanded this sharply. “Tim doesn’t want it anymore than I do. We’re of one mind on this, aren’t we?”

He was looking at him. And the almost commanding tone ground into Tim’s spine uncomfortably. But he still said, “Yeah, we are.”

Cass was quiet. Tim didn’t know if he liked it in this case. It was quiet companion silence. It wasn’t accepting the decision silence. It was something that meant she didn’t agree in some way. But what that meant she would do, Tim didn’t know.

“And it’s not your decision, Brown, it’s ours,” Damian continued, chest seeming to puff out slightly. Like he was trying to take charge of the situation.

Except, Tim noted, he’d used the plural. He hadn’t implied he was the one in charge, and for some reason, that settled Tim’s stomach slightly.

And he was rather nauseated in general still, so that was good.

It was good to be on the same side in this. And ever since the playground, Tim had felt more and more like Damian was not the enemy here.

It was hard to forget the pain, the fear, and the panic he’d felt. It was hard to shake the tremble that still went through his body even now. And he wondered, and desperately hoped, it wasn’t that he was accepting Damian as a protector.

Because he didn’t need one, and he didn’t want Damian as a partner or provider or what have you. At this point, he’d be very glad to only be on good terms with him as a brother or teammate.

Stephanie sighed. “I’m trying to help, okay? I’m not fighting you here.”

“Well, Brown, you’re doing an excellent at sounding like you’re fighting us,” Damian sniped.

“And here I thought you liked me,” Steph muttered.

Which, Damian did. Tim was certain on that. But the waves of anxiety and certainty at what needed to be done were very evident to Tim, and if Stephanie seemed to be blocking that, it was no surprise to Tim that Damian was somewhat hostile to her.

“It needs to be done,” Tim agreed with Damian. “As soon as we can. If it was Ra’s al Ghul’s plan, then it stands to reason that undoing it will mess that up. We need to derail--”

Cass suddenly turned, saying, “Twenty. Twenty are here.”

And that sent Tim’s adrenaline going immediately, knowing they must be agents of Ra’s himself. Damian sharply turned towards where Cass had, and Tim pulled out his bo staff.

Twenty against the four of them was doable. Cass was easily the strongest fighter Tim knew, and the three of them were also nothing to sneeze at.

Seemingly knowing that they had been spotted, two of them showed up simply standing in front of them. They were distinct, with clothes that suggested they had earned individuality, and Tim couldn’t quite put a name to the man, but the woman--

“Mother.” Damian said it flatly, like he blamed her for this and couldn’t be less happy to see her.

“Damian,” Talia responded, a more soft tone than Damian had taken. She seemed most interested in looking at Damian, an almost wistfulness present, before her eyes darted to Tim, sizing him up.

Tim tightened his mouth, frowning at her. He had no doubt she’d had a part in this, and still had a part in this. 

“For shit’s sake...” he could hear Steph murmur under her breath.

“What do you want?” Damian said, and Tim could feel the threads of ‘must show I’m stronger in front of everyone’ from Damian. And also a pang of longing for his mother, that abruptly made Tim miss his mother too.

He’d barely known his own mother, though that was through her own neglect.

“To congratulate you. You’re a man now,” Talia said, “And to offer you a gift.”

“I’m not a man now. I’ve done nothing to earn it,” Damian snapped back, cheeks turning almost violently red. Tim could feel the throb of pain from him, the fact that this was not how he’d ever wanted things to go, and he felt an overwhelming empathy for him.

“It may not have been how you expected,” Talia responded, “But taking a mate is a rite of passage, and your Grandfather is highly pleased.”

“Oh, I bet he fucking is,” Stephanie snapped. “He planned this, that--”

The withering look Talia sent her way silenced her for but a moment, a hesitation, before she added, “But seriously, who the fuck does that to a kid? To two kids?”

“I’m not really a ‘kid’--” Tim started, wanting to point out that Damian was definitely more the child here, and oh god, that made it so much worse, because now he could feel the shame and confusion from Damian, the way he was in so far over his head and so far over what he ever should have had to deal with.

He wanted to hold him. Damn instincts.

The bond was conducting better than ever, Tim realized. Whatever drugs were clouding it before must have been clearing up out of his system.

“Regardless,” Talia said, face more shielded, more imperturbable, and Tim guessed she knew exactly how fucked up it was, “This is for the best. There will be no question over an heir now--”

“You were part of this,” Tim accused. He’d realized it the instant she said that—because Ra’s didn’t care that much if Damian wasn’t the heir, but _Talia_ , Talia cared a lot. And Tim was someone that Ra’s was eyeing, that was something Tim knew. Damian’s heritage and upbringing plus Tim’s skill and admiration from Ra’s were an excellent match to ensure that Damian was the next Demon’s Head.

And if Tim was there along with him, he had an even better chance of doing well, because Talia had guessed well in that Tim wouldn’t harm Damian or screw him over if he could help it.

But she was crazy if she thought she could convince either or both of them to lead the League of Assassins.

Talia didn’t deny it, looking at him flatly. Her look said, this is why my father calls you Detective.

Damian’s teeth ground, his feelings screaming ‘how could you?!’ but no words coming out. Like he knew exactly how Talia could, he just wished she wouldn’t. He wished things were different.

It was almost painful to be this in tune with Damian’s feelings.

“He’s not carrying, is he?” Talia said, like she knew the answer. She was talking to Damian, and despite being a Beta, she never seemed intimidated in the slightest by the Alphas in the room.

“That’s none of your business,” Damian growled, the protective undertones stronger than Tim had ever heard from Damian.

It unsettled him slightly, especially given that it felt like the conversation was being had about him like he wasn’t even there.

“Talia,” Tim said, causing both of them to look at him, “This isn’t going to work. If you and Bruce having Damian didn’t drive you together, what makes you think trying to force Damian and I to have a child will work?”

Talia’s eyes narrowed at him, and he could read hate for just a split second there, before she diplomatically changed it to mere cold. “Timothy Drake, I wouldn’t have assumed you so stupidly hormonal as to forget your own nature.”

He could feel his face turn red, the tips of his ears burning, and he was angry, or embarrassed, or upset, or _something_ that made him want to cry, which was so stupid. “Bonding isn’t going to make it work. You can’t force us to care about each other like—like that. And you can be _fucking_ sure I’m not going to run the League of Assassins, whether it’s at Damian’s side or not.”

Steph seemed to raise an eyebrow at Tim actually cursing, but she was quickly on his side. “Yeah, lady, you can fuck with hormones and psychology all you want, but it doesn’t change who Tim or Damian are.”

“It’s already changed the both of them,” Talia replied, tone the one of someone who’s already won. Her eyes were on Damian now. “Your grandfather would prefer I did not kill Timothy. But, his stance is rather different on merely kidnapping him. And now that you’re bonded, whoever has him, has you, my son.”

A flair of panic attacked Tim through their bond, and he felt a bit disoriented, like it ignited the panic he’d been feeling for the past couple of days. He struggled to remember basic reactions to things, as he could see the ninjas coming forward, as he could see Damian shouting, Cass pulling forward into the fray.

Steph in front of him, purple in his eyes.

Talia saying very loudly that she was doing this only to protect Damian, because someone else would have done this.

He was cold. He was too cold, and cold had never truly bothered Tim before, why was this bothering him so goddamn much?

He couldn’t think. This wasn’t right, how the fuck could this be happening? It wasn’t right. The panic was searing through his bones, and how could Damian have jumpstarted it that way? He didn’t understand, and somehow, that only added to the panic.

_Breathe. Breathe. Breathe._

He thought maybe Steph was saying that. Or he was thinking it. He couldn’t tell.

It was like pushing through a thick plastic shroud, tearing his way with fingernails that were too blunt. Like the plastic would suffocate him if he didn’t.

A hand was on his arm, and he pulled himself out of it long enough to look—and realize why he was suddenly more grounded.

Damian had his wrist, and said, “Tim, I need you to come with me. Cain says she can handle it.”

He didn’t command, and that was enough to make Tim listen.

His brain finally properly took in the scene. Steph was sending out the signal to the rest of their team, Cass was singlehandedly defeating most of the ninjas (he counted ten laid out cold already) and Talia was nowhere to be seen.

“Where?”

Damian’s teeth gritted, and Tim could feel frustration, but he answered, “To a safe room in the manor.”

“I don’t need--”

“I do. Cain says we’re both compromised, please come with me.”

Both Damian saying he needed the safe room and saying please was more than enough to get Tim to follow, utterly dumbfounded. They sprinted out of the cave, as Damian relayed to him that both Dick and Jason were on their way, and would be here in twenty minutes ‘or likely less, given Grayson’s penchant for speeding.’

They made it to the first floor of the manor. The safe room was inside the middle of the manor, and it was not only for physical, human threats, but for storms as well. Damian keyed in the code and yanked them both inside.

The warm storm lights, powered by a generator, came on, and Damian threw a blanket at Tim. “You look terrible,” he defended.

“Thanks, you too,” Tim returned.

It was quiet. And Tim found that suddenly more uncomfortable than the din of fighting the assassins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this taking so long. I've been sick for about a month, and not been getting much writing done. And everything just seemed to pile up. DX


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian and Tim are in a safe room. Damian isn't sure how safe Tim actually feels there, though.

Damian was looking across at Tim, the silence pervading the room. He could easily see that Tim was struggling with the panic and the state of his injuries. It was what one would expect—he’d certainly been harmed by Damian’s Grandfather’s agents, and the casts and bandages attested to that.

Damian preferred not to consider how much he’d added to the injuries.

At the moment, Tim was covered in the blanket, looking at him curiously.

“What?” Damian asked, fighting the urge to scowl. He didn’t enjoy the necessity of closeness right now, but he wasn’t about to harm Tim’s recovery or his safety if he could help it.

Tim said nothing, still, simply pulling the blanket slightly closer.

Damian found it took a lot of effort to reach out to feel Tim’s feelings. It was supposed to be easier, he was sure. It was supposed to be near effortless, but as usual, he was terrible at it.

Well, he excelled at more important—more _physical_ and intellectual things. He was excellent at strategy, and above anyone his age in his fighting ability. Damian had worked long and hard to be as good as he was.

But...this was a different matter altogether, and it felt like trying to access doors that were locked tight.

Instead, he stood up, and began pacing. He had to know what he would do about his mother’s plan to kidnap Tim. He had no doubt she wished Tim no harm, in that sense, but rather to keep his enemies from seizing Tim and using him as a bargaining chip or to rule over Damian.

Mother had always had his interests at heart, as long as they lined up somewhat with the League.

He didn’t want to think on that now, however.

Tactically, it made sense to take Tim. He was a liability in the sense that he could be used to harm Damian, and Mother would generally intervene in that sort of scenario. Not the kind where Damian would merely bleed or break bones, of course, because stopping that would be stupid—the point of training was to push past suffering.

If you bled, you were either doing it right, or being a clumsy fool—neither of which deserved rescuing.

“Can you stop?”

Damian looked to Tim, who appeared very tired. “Stop what?”

He expected him to say ‘pacing,’ but what he said was, “Stop figuring out what to do with me.”

Damian flushed slightly. “I wasn’t. I was merely attempting to find the best solution to M—Talia’s attempt to kidnap you.”

Tim’s face twitched slightly. “You know, I might have some thoughts on that.”

“Of course you would,” Damian agreed, going back to trying to figure out the problem. If Tim was still weakened, Damian certainly couldn’t count on him to fight with him, and the same went for--

“Hey. I’m serious,” Tim said, voice somewhat irritated. His throat sounded irritated as well, and Damian had a brief sense of the annoyance Tim felt suddenly pulsing through their link.

Oh. _Oh._ He wished to be included in the planning. Damian’s first instinct was to snap that that would take longer, because he’d have to explain _everything_ , and Tim was in no state to do much of whatever they planned anyway.

But the look Tim was giving him, and remembering how Tim seemed to feel about Grayson and others bossing him around, made Damian take a breath and sink down next to him. “All right.”

Tim nodded at that, and somehow, Damian could tell his tension had eased. “Talia’s concerned about you being the heir. With me attached, your chances are better, since Ra’s has a high interest in me. But, her concern is me being snatched and used against you. So far so good?”

Damian resisted stating that this much was obvious, and said, “Yes.”

“So, we have to be able to lay her concerns to rest. There are only a few ways to go about that—either assure her there’s no danger, break the bond, or I beat her in a fight.”

“You couldn’t beat Mother,” Damian scoffed. He got a glare.

“I agree that, at this point, that’s not our best option, but thanks for being kind about it,” Tim said, voice tense and tight. 

The word choice shocked Damian a little, and he wasn’t sure if Tim noticed. It was sarcasm, yes, but typically Tim would use a word more like ‘civil’ or ‘not a total asshole’. He wondered if Tim somehow expected him to be _kind._ Damian wasn’t certain there was a kind bone in his body, and it made his skin itchy to think about.

That made Tim look up, taking in his expression like he’d felt the discomfort.

Damian cleared his throat. “So. Reassuring Mother is most likely, at least until we can effectively break the bond.”

Tim nodded slowly. “And driving off her ninjas is most likely to do that.”

“Are you suggesting I take you back out there?” Damian demanded, feeling almost angry at the idea. That was stupid, Tim would be in far too much danger.

“Okay, A), I could take myself back out there if I wanted to, and B), no. I’m suggesting _you_ go out there. I’ll be fine in here.” Tim was definitely irritable.

Damian huffed a sigh. He should have known Tim would insist on being left alone, like a sacrificial calf on an altar. And he didn’t know for certain what to do in response to it.

“I’m not leaving you alone and easily attacked,” Damian responded.

Tim scowled. “This is the safest place I could be at the moment, and if you don’t get your mother to leave, I’ll be in a lot more danger of being kidnapped. It makes sense for you to dissuade her, because even if our family stops her, she’ll keep coming back otherwise. Right?”

Damian bristled. “It’s ridiculous. You’re too injured and weak.”

“So help me get a chance to recover--”

“No!” And Damian had leaned into Tim’s space at that, and all the words he was going to say fled when Tim flinched-- _violently_ \--back.

It made Damian feel stupid. Had Tim been trying to get him away from him all along? Did he really think he’d still hurt him after all this? He quickly turned away, a hurt stinging in his chest.

“Damian--” Tim started, but Damian wouldn’t let him finish.

He’d forced his way on Tim before to keep him safe. He couldn’t do so again. “Fine. I’ll see at a later time.”

“Damian, wait--”

But the door clicked shut behind him. Damian didn’t think he could possibly get out fast enough.

He couldn’t face Tim right now. Not when Tim didn’t want to face him either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kinda a short chapter. I am sorry! I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.
> 
> The main issue has been recovery from a concussion, but I'm mostly right as rain, just slightly overwhelmed by all the ongoing fanfic. :P
> 
> Also, in this, I do feel Damian has the right to feel hurt, but similarly, I think Tim's reaction is fair. It's messy as hell.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victim-blaming? Sort of? Just a warning, but definitely nothing more severe than has been in the story already.

Coming back to see the cave being besieged was most certainly not what Bruce had expected. Everything was very quiet up top, but once he showed up in the cave, it was sheer chaos.

Cass was fighting ninjas. Ninjas were fighting Steph. Damian had just barreled into a ninja. And Talia had almost instantly shown up at his side, saying, “I’m sorry you had to return to this—perhaps you could sit back upstairs a moment?”

He parried her blow, not even a little bit sure of what was going on. However, as he counted who was here, and who was not, he had a striking fear in his chest. _Tim._ Where was he? 

And where was Dick, for that matter?

“Talia. Why are you here?” he demanded, not even pretending at warm feelings at seeing her again. If it had been just her, here to see him, he might feel differently; as it was, this was an invasion.

She smiled at him. “Haven’t you heard?”

He blocked another blow, and went to immobilize her; as was typical, she didn’t allow that. “I don’t have time for games, Talia.”

“Then you haven’t,” she responded, though he suspected she already knew, just from the way she said it. “My. It seems you’re as uninformed as when Damian was conceived.”

That...was a low blow, and Bruce could feel the sting in his chest. He’d had no choice with that one, and Talia was aiming for emotional vulnerability. It meant, however, that she was here for something very important, and something she likely knew was important to him emotionally, which further pointed to something to do with Tim, or Dick, or even Jason. Or all three.

He thought he saw a quick glint her eyes, and the comm she had on must have messaged her something. He didn’t know what, but it wasn’t good—and it especially seemed bad when the safe room’s alarm went off.

‘Ventilation systems compromised’ it chimed and flashed on the screen.

To his shock, Damian was the one who shrieked, “No!” and fought in the direction of the safe room, a panicked sweat seeming to pour down his face.

Bruce knocked his way past Talia, quickly joining Stephanie. “What’s happening?”

“Tim—he’s in the safe room! He needs you!” Stephanie said, to the point and unable to take time to explain more.

Bruce took off in that direction as well, cutting a way through for Damian to follow.

His youngest son was practically on his heels, and it was good that Bruce knew he could rely on Damian to have his back right now. They were through perhaps faster than Talia had planned.

If it was Tim, and Talia was here, Bruce had no doubt it had to do with Ra’s al Ghul in some form or another. The man had been after Tim for some time, trying gain him as partner in any sense of the word. It made Bruce’s hackles rise to think about, even as he knew that Tim was very capable of saying no.

And acting on that, if necessary.

He was probably the best strategist in the family, even excluding Bruce, and Bruce knew how invaluable Tim could be. Hence, Ra’s was interested.

“Damian--” he started, as they burst into the main area of the house.

Bruce could smell smoke. He hoped Tim was conscious.

The door slid open for Damian’s hasty code, and billows of smoke came out. Bruce’s teeth were clenched painfully tight as he slipped on his mask and hurried in, searching for a form. 

It startled him to realize Damian had followed, without a mask, and was already ahead of him in searching the safe room.

“Tim! Tim, show yourself at once!” he snapped.

It didn’t take long to figure out that Tim wasn’t there. He was smart enough to have gotten the hell out before it got too bad. Damian realized this almost faster than Bruce did, startling him again as he positively streaked out of the room and into the main house, shouting for Tim.

Bruce followed, not his usual pattern with Damian.

He stepped over the limp form of a ninja, and knew they were headed in the right direction.

The casual destruction throughout the house pointed to where Tim had gone, presumably fleeing his attempted kidnappers or opponents. Alfred was going to have a cow when he got home.

“Timothy!” Damian shouted again, near frantic.

Bruce could smell the frantic anger and fear coming off of his child in waves. Strangely, he smelled...different. Perhaps it was whatever was making him sweat.

The crash of a clock, identified by the clanging, sent Bruce and Damian bolting in the direction of the noise.

It turned out, they needn’t have bothered. 

Tim was perched up on a small alcove for decorations, one crutch extended towards where the top of the grandfather clock had been. Had been, because now it was on top of an unconscious ninja. Tim quickly withdrew the crutch, the single one he had, and seemed to prepare for more until he saw them.

“Bruce...” His voice started out almost excited and relieved, but quickly shifted to anxious, fearful, and quiet.

He shifted to push himself further back into the alcove.

“Tim, what’s wrong--” and it hit Bruce like a freight train.

All of it added up on smelling the scent coming from Tim. The fact that Damian was so panicked about Tim. Him actually calling him Tim. The odd scent. Why Talia was here. Why she was taunting him.

He couldn’t speak. His chest felt like a black hole of horror. “What…” he managed, voice trying to escape him, as Damian’s head tilted towards him, taking a tentative step away.

His next words escaped from him in a cold rush. “ _What have you done?!_ ”

He couldn’t figure out how to proceed from there, if he should be mad, if he should ask questions, what. What did one do when their _children_ did something like this?

“Father, the blame is--” Damian started, voice smoothed to a shaky polish.

And Bruce didn’t want polished up words for something that was unspeakable. That was horrifying beyond almost anything. The ninja seemed to move slightly, so Bruce did the only thing he could think of.

He punted the grandfather clock, sending it crashing noisily across the room, a cacophony of clanging and wood breaking. His ears felt hot, his breath felt hot.

“There had better be an explanation for this!” he said, feeling the heat in his words as much as he heard it.

“Father, you’re scaring Timothy!” Damian’s high, high voice snapped at him.

And that was when it hit Bruce. Damian was frightened of him, and so was Tim, curled back into the alcove. 

He wasn’t sure if they should be. If anyone should be, perhaps it should be Tim. He knew better. He knew far better than to do this. He knew how to manage his heat, and he was far more responsible than Damian. He knew better.

“Timothy Jackson. You come down here and explain. Now.” 

To his bewilderment, Tim did not come down. He gave a rather tremulous, “I’m fine up here, thanks. The air’s great.”

Bruce grit his teeth. “I didn’t give you the option to decline.”

“I always make a third option. Like hitting someone with a grandfather clock.”

“Timothy. Come down.” And that commanding tone was very hard for Tim to resist, he knew. He felt almost bad for commanding.

And he could see the mix of anger and fear in Tim’s face when he slid down from his perch.

“Tell me what happened.” 

“Father, it’s my responsibility--” Damian started, and it made Bruce hurt for the boy, a flash of both anger and pain.

“Damian, you are twelve years old. Your brother can explain.”

Tim’s eyes darted from Damian, to him, to sort of towards the bone of his left cheek. “I...I fucked up. I’m sorry.”

Damian looked astonished.

“How...” how could he have fucked up this bad, Bruce wanted to continue.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Tim said softly, voice like thread, “I should have done better.”

Now Bruce was confused. But he wasn’t the only one.

“Tim, you—you’re not the one responsible! _I_ am!” Damian said, voice near shrill. “I’m the one who did this! I’m the one who disregarded--”

“I should have figured out a way,” Tim insisted. “I failed.”

And he still wouldn’t look Bruce in the eye.

Something was extremely off here. Bruce was starting to believe he’d been in space at the worst possible time, even if he’d been needed there.

He didn’t know how to ask more questions, seeing the obvious battle of wills between the two and emotions boiling up to the surface, so he said the first thing that came to mind.

“Where is Nightwing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt that Bruce would be on the flipside of perspective. Because he would easily recognize that Damian is a child, and moreso than Tim is. And also, not having been there to know what happened, he would perhaps jump to slightly different conclusions. His own experiences in life absolutely don't exclude Alphas from being harmed in that sense.
> 
> Also, sorry for taking so long! DX


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When it comes to Batman, Tim would rather take the blame than the pity.

Cass knew something was wrong when Jason and Dick showed up before Bruce, Tim, and Damian returned.

With the four of them, they made the ninjas leave. Talia was not happy, but had to concede before being captured or risking too many men. Cass much preferred to see them go, however.

“Where is he? Where is--” Jason started to demand.

“Up.” Cass pointed towards the ceiling. 

“Then we’d better be up,” Steph murmured, and headed for the lift.

She seemed sad still, and Cass would suspect she hated seeing both Damian and Tim in pain. She hated to see Tim feel smaller than he was, and she hated to see Damian feel cornered. Cass could empathize.

She had long been closer to Tim than Damian, but Cass thought that was more of a consequence of how Damian appeared and how much longer she’d known Tim. That, and Damian was not exactly looking to be friendly on meeting her, either. Even though she could see he was hurting and puffing himself up like a frightened cat, it was still easier to get close to Tim, who mostly hid his hurt behind false, sad smiles.

Upstairs was a mess, but so were the pheromones. Cass hadn’t been hit this strongly in a long time by Alpha rage pheromones, and she knew it was Bruce. And she also knew they had better be careful—it wasn’t like he would attack them, at least not in a serious attempt to harm, but it also wasn’t like he would hold back if he thought this was their fault.

Because she could also tell by the pheromones underpinning Bruce’s that Tim was frightened and so was Damian. Or, more accurately, anxious and distressed.

They found them next to a destroyed clock, the kind with a name that made no sense. Cass could see Bruce taking deep breaths, jaw clenched, rage rolling off of him.

“Dick!” Bruce nearly barked. “How did this happen?!”

It wasn’t Dick’s fault. But Bruce clearly didn’t know that.

Tim was staring at the wall, and voiced, like he’d already said it before, “It’s my responsibility, and I should have done better. Don’t get mad at Dick.”

Damian seemed even more in distress at that, insisting, “I’m not a child, I’m not just—I’m to blame!”

“Whoa, whoa, what the heck?!” Dick managed, and he was very confused. “Bruce, I want you to know it wasn’t a simple situation, and any of us would have done whatever we could to prevent it, but we couldn’t. If you sit down for a moment, we can explain--”

“Explain how my twelve year old son is now bonded?! For life?! To my sixteen year old son?!” Bruce shouted, and his muscles were trembling with rage.

Tim seemed to grow rather pale at that. His eyes seemed slightly wider as he looked at the wall, and Cass could see they were slightly shiny now.

Damian was also distressed, face growing brightly red as he shouted, “It’s not Tim’s fault, it’s mine, I’m the one who made an error in judgement--!”

“What the fuck, B?” Jason demanded, “You don’t even know what happened!”

“Calm down, guys, Jay--” Dick started, and this was about to go to Hell in a basket, Cass was sure.

So she stepped in first, just as Bruce started to step forward to pick a fight with Jason. She put both hands on his chest, saying simply, “Please stop.”

She knew it wasn’t the fact she could match him in skill and force him to stop that made him do so. She could still feel and see the tension in his body. But he took a deeper breath, and managed, “If you want to explain to me, do it now. I demand to know what happened.”

“I got myself captured,” Tim started, voice quiet. 

“We all got captured,” Dick amended, looking almost apologetically at Tim. “By Ra’s al Ghul. Our mission was simple up until that point.”

“Then I went into heat,” Tim continued, and Cass could see the utter bewilderment on Damian’s face. Because Tim was leaving out the rather important details of having been drugged and beaten.

“And then they threw me into the cell with Damian. One thing led to another, and now we’re bonded,” Tim said, voice rather flat, but Cass could detect the tremble.

He didn’t want Bruce to know how badly he’d been hurt, or how much of his control over the situation had been taken from him. He was, maybe, also protecting Damian.

He was afraid, but not the same way that he had been shortly after. This wasn’t terror; this was a fear of rejection, or of being seen as incapable. Of being reduced in Bruce’s eyes. It hurt Cass to think about, but even she was aware of the stereotypes and such surrounding Omegas in ‘dangerous’ jobs. Few things were more dangerous than being Robin and then Red Robin, she supposed.

The way Tim was acting made her want to protect him, but she knew he wouldn’t appreciate it, and so said nothing. Honestly, she was also a bit baffled on what could be said.

Jason had no such issue, his mouth easily getting the better of him. “Bullshit. That’s not how it happened at all--”

“Jason’s right, you weren’t scheduled for a heat. What happened?” Bruce demanded, eyes suddenly darker with worry.

Tim seemed to take this as an attack, flinching back slightly and snapping, “It’s exactly what I said happened! I make mistakes, don’t I? Well, that’s what happened here!”

Dick was clearly distressed, unsure why Tim was acting this way. “Tim, it’s okay, no one blames you for what happened--”

“Well, they should!” Tim snapped back.

Cass thought it was highly possible they didn’t know they were pushing him into a corner.

“But I’m the one who disregarded you!” Damian insisted, confusion seeming to pull at the connection between the two, making Tim turn away slightly. “Timothy, you had no choice, I made the choice!”

 _That_ made Tim’s shoulders hunch sharply, and now Bruce was confused too.

He looked towards Tim, then towards Dick, as if demanding an explanation. 

Dick sighed softly. “Bruce, this isn’t...an easy thing, I guess. It happened like Tim said, but it was Ra’s plan. He wanted the pair of them bonded, and he manipulated the situation to make it happen.”

His eyes flickered over to his younger siblings, and Cass could see Tim glaring at him, could see the way that Dick’s heart was breaking, and so she stepped forward, asking Damian, “Hurt?”

She could sense the look pass between Bruce and Dick: more information later.

“I am fine, Cain,” Damian said, stiff but pleased at the distraction. He looked over at Tim, but Tim wasn’t returning his gaze, still turned away from the family and with his arms crossed, a protective barrier. He still wasn’t so terrified as he’d been; it seemed to Cass he was more afraid of being vulnerable or being seen as vulnerable than anything right now.

So perhaps the worst thing to do would be to try to make him be vulnerable right now. So Cass focused on Damian for the moment, who was standing in front of her.

He was getting near to her height, she noted. It wouldn’t be much longer before he was taller than her, Steph, and Tim. She would bet he’d outgrow Dick and Jason too. Bruce was built like a brick house. One that hit people.

Bruce let out a heavy breath, trying to be calm. To breathe out the anger. Cass always visualized releasing heat from a furnace.

She looked to Damian, and said, “You need food.” It wasn’t strictly that he was likely to be hungry, it was that food was comfort. Or, it could be. Alfred had shown Cass this very well. She wished he would be here.

He wouldn’t be back for a few more days, though. Dick had said something about ‘Agent A business’ and expected her to know what that meant, it seemed. She got the sense it had to do with his blood related family.

He would be sad, she had no doubt.

Alfred rarely said so, but he loved all of them a lot, and he would be especially sad for Damian and Tim. He didn’t like any of them getting hurt.

Damian nodded slowly, seeming to recognize that getting food meant getting out of here, this situation. “I suppose I can get something to eat, if you’re interested in it.”

She could see Dick wanted to hug Tim, while sort of wanting to shake him too. He was frustrated. They all were. This wasn’t easy for anyone.

Steph was the one who came over to Tim, though. “Tim, can we talk?”

His jaw set tighter, but he relented. “Yeah, fine, we can.”

Bruce looked to Dick, and Dick said, “You guys go on, Bruce and I need to chat. Jay, why don’t you--”

“Stay right here? Don’t mind if I do,” Jason said, finishing Dick’s sentence in a way he clearly hadn’t been about to. Cass was pretty sure that Jason knew that, though, so she just nodded and took Damian towards the kitchen.

“I know how to make hot cocoa and tea,” she informed him, “As well as cold tea.”

Alfred had been proud, except for the cold tea, which he said was an ‘abomination’. The sugar in it hadn’t helped his opinion.

Damian nodded silently, and she went to making him tea. While the water boiled, she turned back to him. “He’s not mad at you.”

“I know,” Damian said a little too fast. “Tim isn’t...there’s no reason to be angry with me.”

Cass wondered why other people thought lying was so hard to spot. “It is hard,” she said, “For both of you, not just him.”

Damian nodded slowly. Then, in a very quiet voice, said, “He still doesn’t want me to so much as lay a finger on him. You’d think I was...you’d think he actually thought I was a demon.”

Cass could imagine Tim’s reaction, as she’d certainly seen it plenty in the past couple days. She could also remember the Omega she’d been bonded to, and the misery that seemed to feed through the bond no matter what she did. It wasn’t something she liked to dwell on much.

She said, “It will get better. He…doesn’t want to seem small. Like you, when you came here.”

This seemed to click with Damian a little, and he considered it. Like he hadn’t much considered that Tim could feel like him when it came to their father, like the idea that Tim would feel small was somewhat new. 

“How can I make him not hate me?” he murmured, looking over at Cass with an openness that Cass hadn’t seen in him much at all.

Cass didn’t know how to answer that one. She didn’t think Damian could force Tim to not hate him, and there weren’t easy, sure ways to get over this. Also, she could tell it felt like a rollercoaster where he couldn’t see the bends and drops to Damian, and that made it harder.

She poured his tea, and said, “Don’t make him. Show him.”

Damian looked like he thought that was very cryptic, but he took his tea. Cass very carefully rubbed the back of his head, almost like she’d seen Steph do, and she was rather pleased that he let her.

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno, just wanted to think about how hard that would be in both their situations. Cause it's hitting Damian hard too.


End file.
